How I Used Humour to Generate Traction for My SAAS Product as a Nobody

The Backstory: I Was Overwhelmed, So I Built Something

NotForgot AI started as a personal project — a system to help me remember what mattered and ignore what didn’t. I didn’t set out to build another productivity app. I set out to feel less anxious. To not wake up with 43 browser tabs open in my brain and the vague sense that I had forgotten something following me through the day.

It took me 9 months to build what I built. The last month was nerve-wracking and felt like it would never end. But I finished it. Then came the even harder part: getting other people to care.

I Knew I Had to Be Unconventional

There are dozens of to-do list apps. Many of them are great. Most of them are indistinguishable. How am I going to stand out? Why will anyone even give it a chance? I knew if I launched NotForgot like a traditional product — clean homepage, generic copy — it would vanish into the noise.

So I leaned into the weirdness. Because this product was different. And if I could show people why I made it — they might give it a chance.

That’s Why I Named It NotForgot (and Not Something Boringly Correct)

I chose a name that’s slightly off because it sticks in your head. It’s not grammatically perfect, but it’s hard to forget — and that’s the point. As Seth Godin says in Purple Cow, being remarkable beats being polished.

“…and a Calmer You” — The Line That Walked Into My Head

The tagline came to me while I was on a walk. I wasn’t trying to write it. I was just feeling calmer that evening… probably because I was using NotForgot.

And the phrase dropped into my mind:

“and a calmer you.”

The icon of a man relaxing on a beach chair came to me much later, but it fit perfectly. It captured what NotForgot was truly offering: less hustle, more peace.

I Used Sketches Instead of Words

I needed people to understand what made NotForgot special, fast. So I turned to pencil-style sketch illustrations.

Instead of walls of text, I showed simple scenes:

The goal was to be clear. And a little charming.

From “Watch a Demo” to “Watch How Tony Stark Uses It”

I knew the video was my best chance to win people over. If they watched the demo, they’d get it.

But no one wants to watch a traditional feature walkthrough.

“What if I cast Tony Stark as my fictional power user?” — I thought. A man with chaotic genius, playboy distractions, and a very specific to-do list:

• “Send one flirty but respectful text to Pepper.”
• “Leaf through ‘1001 Smart Home Hacks’ to troll JARVIS with”
• “Patch the floor in the training room in Avengers HQ after Hulk’s ‘agility warmup’”

Instead of a calling out to “Watch A Demo,” the call to action now said:

“Watch how Tony Stark uses it”

That did it. More people were now curious to watch the video and I had a lot of fun creating it.

I Had No Testimonials. So I Made Some Up — for Fun.

Every app I admired had a testimonials section. I had none. Classic chicken-or-egg problem: no signups because no social proof, no social proof because no signups.

Then I thought — “What if I make them up? And made them funny? — and obviously fake?”

The profile pics you see were generated by ChatGPT, by the way. Perfectly fake humans with no emotional baggage — and great jawlines.

Had loads of fun doing this as well — as you can tell.

Reddit Banter > Paid Ads

When I finally posted on r/SaaS (thread here), someone called me out for the fake reviews (which were intentionally fake) in the comment section! I couldn’t believe it but I chose not to reply.

But to my surprise other redditors did. They got the joke and they defended the idea. I think this banter actually helped the reddit thread — my weird little app now had a conversation around it.

I Didn’t Launch. I Ran Experiments.

Before any of this, I didn’t launch. I tested.

I used Google Ads to quietly run A/B tests on different headlines, value props, and landing page copy. Ads was never going to be a way to acquire users for me, but it is a great avenue to test and get your copy right in a controlled environment.

For example, the earlier headline was too vague

“AI Productivity Assistant”

The final headline struck the right balance between broad appeal and specific benefit:

“Let AI batch your tasks, so you can stay in flow.”

This quiet testing phase gave me confidence before making noise that people would understand the product and sign up. It also shaped my entire launch strategy.

Final Thought: You Can’t Fake Authenticity (But You Can Fake a Testimonial)

I didn’t follow the startup script. I followed what made me laugh and what made me irritated. I used humour and creative license to bridge the gap between obscurity and attention.

The spark behind NotForgot was simple: I wanted an assistant that could make sense of my chaotic brain — listen to my rambles, organize the mess, find patterns, and gently nudge me at the right moment with the right task. Something that would prep me for the day ahead like a thoughtful friend.

That’s what I built. And that’s what I invite people into.

If you’re building something new: don’t be afraid to be a little strange. A little scrappy. A little too honest.

Because sometimes, that’s the best way to be seen.

Here is the app: NotForgot AI

Here is the video I have been going on about: Tony Stark using NotForgot